Children can now stroll in Barbie Girls, a world in which they can design their own characters, decorate their own rooms, and try on clothes. In the cinema they can see Mattel commercials with which they can earn b-bkucks, points to be used for furniture in their rooms, accessories, outfits and more. Other Mattel products have special codes which reveal even more content. Shortly there will be a "doll-inspired handheld portable device", making a direct connection with the content and activities at BarbieGirls.com, like adopting a virtual pet (mt). This way, the virtual world slowly comes to life. We connect everything to each other. In the future, if we change our physical Barbie into a different dress, we will see that even our Barbie avatar has changed. And the dirty dress will, complete with stains, hang in the virtual wardrobe. We will be able to design a new Barbie, make a holographic projection of it in our own house or somebody else's house, and have it manufactured should we wish to do so.

In this video Celine Dion sings a duet with a holographic Elvis Presley. It looks stunningly real (mf, Dutch). We make the virtual world more and more real, and layer it over the physical world. This way we travel in time and space, and experience whatever we want (as long as we pay for it). However, we only have one life. The right choices for the right experiences in the right order, that will be the biggest challenge. Coaching brands will help us here.

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• Coaching brands

Through snap.com website owners have been able to show an automated preview from the website that will be shown after clicking (on this site we have been using it for a couple of months). This is now replaced by Snap Shots™, with which much more specific information can be shown. Try this: Information about Einstein for example (through Wikipedia), information about a specific fund like Google at the stock exchange (through Yahoo), a video clip about the very innovative Adidas Store in Paris and the like for movies (IMDB), audio (*.mp3) and products (Amazon.com) (snap). This way, the virtual world slowly takes shape. Currently the author still has to program a hyper link, in the near future we can point to what we want and get more information on command. We point our fingers and ask an oral question: What kind of bird is that? Who was Martin Luther King? Where can I order those boots? Our surroundings (read: coaching brands) will answer all those questions. This is a small step in that direction.

Related trends

• Coaching brands

Through Intellifit's newest scanner we can now get automated brand advice. You are in a clothing shop, you step in a scanner (with all your clothes on), you push a button, step out of the scanner and your advice is right there. With 200.000 measuring points the form of your body has been determined, right through all your clothes. Your sizes are printed on a small card (via fc). This is the starting point for fashion coaching brands. Once they also start recording our skin structure, eyes, hair and lifestyle, then we can get real personal fashion advice. Video clip below.

The Holocaust Museum Washington now shows videos of the civil war in Darfur at Google Earth. Pictures and reports of ordinary people can also be seen there. We imitate the real world, real time, in the virtual world. In the future we will be able to experience everything from a distance, while feeling we are really there. Today, last week, one hundred years ago, a mix of those, or even in the future. This is a small step in that direction.

Google Labs are testing their Voice Local Search, with which consumers can select a local service through voice recognition. When you call 1-800-466-4411, first needs to state the city and (US) state, then the name of the company (Giovanni's Pizza), or the category (pizza). Sometimes you'll get more choices which you can all respond to through speech. In the end you are connected (for free), or you'll receive a text message with the contact details. It works pretty good already, although Google sometimes does make mistakes in the voice recognition. It is a very difficult process, but step by step brands make the leap to understand our spoken word. This is a small step in that direction.

At Google Maps it is now possible to add text, audio and video, and share these with others (demo). Anything that exists, has existed before, or could exist in a fantasy, we record and share with others. We experience nostalgia, learn about an environment, or get inspiration. Facts and fiction are intertwined. If in the future for example online encyclopedia Wikipedia connects to Google Maps, we will see every historical, biological and geological fact on the map, and we can see the world change through a time line. And with an astronomic connection we can see it at any existing or non-existing celestial body. Thus we scroll through time and space, through facts and fiction, in a virtual world which often maybe resembles the real world, and definitely feels more and more real. A worlds in which brands are naturally present, like in the physical world. This is another step in that direction.

When the lady in this picture comes closer to this screen, she will see a mirror. Click on the picture for a demo (fc, Dutch). Every display around us becomes interactive. Now just as an advertising medium, but in the future we will be able to directly ask for more information, print a coupon for discount in the restaurant of bar we are at, or have an e-mail or text message sent to our mobile phone. Or if we want we can read our e-mail, or visit friends in other bars. Every display will offer us entrance to a virtual world. This is a small step in that direction.

Through Mojiti consumers can add texts, balloons, or images to videos. Those videos can come from any location, for example from YouTube. Then consumers can share the videos with the added materials on their own websites, comparable to sharing YouTube videos (through a snippet). I tested the service with the video of the Adidas Store in Paris (which in itself is worth watching), and I am happy about the result. If you watch it, you get two-in-one. But it still is just a step in the media evolution. Two steps further and we will see a real revolution in television.